KUALA LUMPUR, July 26 — Home Minister Senator Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail should clarify if Malaysians mothers with stateless children now will get relief in a planned constitutional amendment on the country’s citizenship, an advocacy group said today.
The Malaysian Citizenship Rights Alliance (MCRA) said it was “extremely concerned” that minister’s latest remarks on the issue might not accurately reflect the current contents of the Bill.
Saifuddin Nasution should also spell out the “refinements” he said were still needed despite the Conference of Rulers’ “positive” reception of the Bill, the group said.
“Specifically, we hope that the Home Ministry will ensure the amendment granting Malaysian mothers the right to confer citizenship to their overseas-born children is retroactively applied…” the MCRA said in a statement.
It also asked for clarity on three other “regressive” amendments, which were over permanent residence in the country, foreign wives to Malaysian men, and reduction of age limit for citizenship applications that it previously asked to be reviewed.
The group said Malaysians were entitled to transparency in such matters as any restrictions to rights enshrined in the Federal Constitution could have far-reaching implications.
On July 19, the minister said the Conference of Rulers has given its consent to the amendments, which were now set to be tabled again at the next parliamentary meeting in October.
The Bill had been scheduled to be tabled for a second reading in the just concluded parliamentary meeting, but was withdrawn at the last minute for review.
